When we began the adoption journey we had little understanding about open adoption. It was very scary to us. After talking it over with our adoption counselor, we decided that semi-open was what we wanted. We would keep in touch through pictures and letters, meet occasionally at the agency but they wouldn't know our address or last name. After having our son home for a year, we are at a place in our lives and in our relationship with J's birth family that open adoption isn't so scary. In fact, last weekend J's birth mother's mom & dad came to his first birthday party at our house. They were there to watch him open presents (eat the paper) and have his cake (he touched it and then wanted nothing to do with it). They met our parents and my sister. There were some tears shed by all of us, but J's birth grandmother said it best "I am so happy to see that he has such a great family and friends." He also has a pretty incredible birth family. We have been blessed to have them involved in our lives and the life of our son as well. We hope that seeing our relationship as he grows will only make J appreciate the life he has been given even more. He has an amazing group of people who love him like crazy. We are all blessed beyond measure because of open adoption. I never in a million years would have thought that I'd invite these people into our personal lives and have them over to our house. God had other plans. Plans that are wonderful and I'm so grateful that I'm not the one in charge of my life.
